#ask-shuckle

As with all other friends I have made here, who have for the time being, left us to pursue life in other areas, I have written another farewell note, to a great person.  And like each one before, it is humiliating, and forces sadness to the person to make him change his mind and stay...I hope someone is laughing at my dumb humor.

I had a gut feeling China, in the long run, would end up where you'd be going.  However, coming home yesterday to find out that you'd be heading off tomorrow morning, came kinda unexpected to me.  Did not expect you to be headed off so soon after coming to terms with it.  So now, here we stand.  I'm praying that I get home tonight in time to perhaps share a few more Turntable tunes, or share a drink with you or something.  It's all hope.  And seeing as how it takes me at least 30 minutes to bike home from work, after midnight...all I can say is that I am prepared for disappointment.

But enough about that.

I'll go ahead and be honest, there are times I wonder and have wondered how we've  become friends at all.  I didn't expect a friendship really to form from a single "hey welcome to the community" greeting.  Hell, I don't really think bonds were really formed until later in the year.  And sometimes I feel either me or you are too much or something is taken too seriously or some other stupid bullshit that is tossed into some equation.  I find it funny that we even sometimes (attempt to) laugh off anything.  "Travis you goof, stop being that way."  Something along those lines.  Laughing at how silly life can be, or how stupid someone's pun was.

And well, also, the music plays on.  And I think, on some levels, we kind of ensure that.  Whether it's because of a night session of Turntable, or because I up and decide to transfer you almost a full gigabyte's worth of music (you're welcome).  Not to mention your guitar talents.  You are too hard on yourself there.  I'll be honest, sometimes the vocals can be shaky, but for the most part, the audience really doesn't care.  You're still jerking tears from everybody...you jerk.  Not really, I love you, put the dinosaur knife away.

Damn man...it's hard to believe that starting tomorrow, I'll likely only hear from you on skype, if I'm up at 3 in the morning or so.  And it's scary to think that perhaps we'll lose touch while you're out, but life goes on.  If pokémon games teach me anything, it's that as there are greetings, there also must be farewells.  And I know you value the future of your life much more than this silly place.  I will need to start thinking about that too.

So, Shuckle...(I am 99% sure I know you're real name, but won't tell since you've kept it secret), I continue to prayfor nothing but good fortune to find you.  I don't know how close we are as friennds, but I hope it's close enough to at least shake hands in spirit as you head off tomorrow.  You've got a wonderful opprotunity, and I know you will tackle it with everything you got.  I know the past few days have been difficult, and I probably seemed.....over-worried at times (which I promise was never my intention), but I know that once you plant your roots at this job, you will have its throat.  And we'll  be over here, thinking of you and rooting you on.

It's been fun dude.  I'll remember the good times, and hope to see those good times come again, real soon.  And of course, I hope al of this was just as much fun, or more for you, as you made it for all of us.

Drive on, and Godspeed.  See you soon.

-Travis Linton AKA: Bui Bui

Part of the explanation for this picture will come in about 20 minutes.  In short words...Shuckle's leaving for China...and I'm a little down.  This is just me saying part of my goodbye.

It ain't anything fancy, but I think I'm losing my touch.